Use: Used to show mental state, typically in relation to the idea of being "scattered".

Metaphor: The Self is a Collection of Objects

Explanation: Much like the molecular structure of an object, "the self" is thought of in various states. In its solid state the self is organized, put together, secure. In its liquid form the self is wishy-washy, flowing, fluid. In its gaseous form the self is airy, clouded, wind blown. A self that is "all over the place" is disorganized, much like the particles of gas are disorganized. This explanation is also coherent with the phrase, "Pull yourself together" which implies that "yourself" is in many disparate pieces lying around in an unorganized state, such as a pile of disorganized objects. You pull these disparate parts together to create order, to solidify "yourself". The gesture implies, as it point to various spots in space, that the self lacks a cohesion, that its parts are scattered and possibly going in different antagonistic directions.

Origin: Imagine three different collections of walnuts. In one collection the walnuts are stacked in a pyramid. In another, the walnuts are dropped on the ground in a semblance of a pile. In a third, the walnuts are thrown so far apart it is hard to discern there is a grouping at all. These three physical experiences with these three differing groupings each give us access to talk about the organization of things in three different ways. It is much easier to look at the walnuts stacked in a pyramid and say, "That is a grouping of walnuts", whereas it gets progressively more difficult to determine where the grouping begins and ends in the other two piles of walnuts. In the ease of categorization there is a pleasure, whereas, in the ambiguity of not knowing where something begins and ends, there is an anxiety, or at least, a process that requires more focused attention and work.